WASHINGTON — Ciryl Gane told ESPN while sitting in a cafe near the White House that mixed martial arts feels different from other sports, saying the pressure is unlike basketball and that fighters go into contests trying to “kill each other,” calling it “probably not a sport.” The remarks came as Gane prepares to face Alex Pereira for an interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday, according to ESPN.
The 36-year-old from France is making his fifth UFC title appearance — three for undisputed gold and two for interim belts. He first won an interim heavyweight title against Derrick Lewis in 2021, and signed with the UFC in 2019, according to ESPN.
Gane has maintained a lighthearted public persona through his rise, often described as carefree and personable. At the same time, he has acknowledged changes in how he presents himself since earlier in his career, after several high-profile moments forced a reassessment of the fight game’s realities, according to ESPN.
One turning point came at UFC 270 in January 2022, when Gane met former teammate Francis Ngannou for the undisputed title. Ngannou claimed a past sparring knockout that Gane says never occurred, and the exchange in the lead-up revealed to Gane that opponents could weaponize personal history, Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez told ESPN. “There is no mercy in this game,” Lopez said, according to ESPN.
Another inflection point followed UFC 285 in March 2023, when Jon Jones made comments about Gane’s penchant for video games on the UFC’s Countdown show and then submitted him with a guillotine choke 2 minutes, 4 seconds into the fight. The aftermath led Gane to scale back sharing his private life and go “very low-key,” he told ESPN, after earlier praise for his ground work following his initial UFC submission wins.
